In the world of work this week… the exploration behind the trend: have we been steadily putting in too many unpaid hours? Research shows many workers put in hours of unpaid overtime, even prior to the pandemic.
Plus, in time for International Pronouns Day this week, a guide to using pronouns in the office (and why it matters!), why hiring can take so long, the HR tech paving the way for a more human-centred workforce, and why treating companies mean won’t actually help.
We’ve got a full breakdown of all the top headlines you can’t miss this week.
#1. Working unpaid hours have become part of the job. Here’s how.
We’re working more than ever before.
It’s a statistic workers have heard time and time again. In fact, over the course of the pandemic, more than 60% of workers put in over 40 hours each week. From late-night emails to early morning calls and everything in between, workers are spending a growing number of hours on the job. But how did all of this unpaid work happen?
“Working towards 40 hours a week would be a light week for me,” Erik, a Hong Kong-based lawyer, told the BBC. “My hours depend on my clients’ needs – I don’t have the option of working fewer.”
Those long days at the office quickly add up for many employees, though, some of whom don’t feel as if they have the freedom or flexibility to cut back. In the U.K., prior to the pandemic, more than 5 million workers averaged an extra 7.6 hours each week – leading to 35 billion GBP in unpaid overtime. Global stats from ADP Research Institute found that one in 10 say they work at least 20 hours a week for free.
Remote working has only intensified the problem, though unpaid overtime was part of the norm for many jobs for decades. Read more at the BBC.